Malawi Reduces Vitamin A Deficiency

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said Malawi has reduced the number of children deficient in vitamin A from 51 percent to 3 percent.

UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition, Dr Sangita Duggal was speaking during a media briefing for the launch of Child Health Days week.

Duggal said the less the number of people found with Vitamin A deficiency, the fewer the people that would be diagnosed with eye complications.

She described the period which the country has made the strides as remarkable, because no country has made such an achievement in such a period.

“14 years ago Malawi was struggling with Vitamin A deficiency, and the number of people facing eye problems was high in comparison to recent years,” Duggal said

She said the biannual Child Health Days conducted in all health centres across the country were a great milestone for the country’s health sector.

Secretary for Health and Population, Dan Namarika said over 1.7 million children and 100, 000 post-partum mothers are expected to be reached with Vitamin A supplementation.